Controlling mechanism for elevators.



PVB. TUBNER.- v. OONTROLLING MBOHANNM FOR ELEVATORS.

Patented Feb. 2', 1909.

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APPLICATION FILED AUG. 24, 1907.

F. B. TURNER CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR ELEVATORS.

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APPLIOATION TILED AUG. 24, 1907.

Patented Feb. 2,

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I I. B. T NER, GQNTBOLLING MECHANISM FOR ELEVATORS.

umm FILED menu, 1901.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

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FREDERICK E. VVTURNEJR, OF KANSAS 'CITY, MISSOURI.

CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR ELEVATORS.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, FREDERIGK'E; TURNER,

'- a citizen of the United 'States, residing at KansasC-ity, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controlling Mechanism forwElevators, of which the following is a specification. 1

ETlliS invention relates to controlling mech:

anism for elevators, and more especially for drum-operated elevators, and my object is to produce mechanical means for automatically arresting a car in the event that it attains a predetermined limit in its upward or downward travel, without returning the lever or hand-gear in the car to its neutral position and without interfering with the operation of such. lever or hand-gear by the operatorfor Tthe purpose of causing the car to be moved be overcome by the controlling means, this difliculty being augmented or rendered in surmountable in the event that the operator through fright or otherwise maintains an opposing-pressure on the lever or handgear.

- The other means is unsatisfactory because'it involves the use of an independent or separate switch, which when thrown out by the controllingmeans prevents the further operation of the car in either direction until the said switch is manually returned to its inoperative position.

With the object named in view, the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and organization as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully'understood reference is to be had to theaccompanying drawings, in which' Figure 1, is a sideelevation of an electrically operated drum .mechanism, equipped with controlling devices embodying my invention. Fig. 2, is an end view'of the same and also shows-a portion of the car andithe' cables connecting the samewiththe control-v ling mechanism, Fig. 3, isa top {plan view of a part of the drum-mechanism and the con trolling mechanism. Fig. 4:, is avertic'al sec- Specification of Letters I atent.

. Application filed August 24, 1907. Serial No. 390,053.

PatentedFeb. 2, 1909.

,tion takenon the dotted line IVIV of Fig. 3. Fig. 5, is a detail perspective view of the rock-frame of the controlling mechanism. Fig. 6, isa detail perspective view of one of the clutch-members of such mechanism. Fig. 7, is a plan view of theclutch sleeve forming apart of'the mechanism. Fig. 8, is an endview of the same. Fig. 9, is-a view partly in section and partly in elevation of a spiral gear forming a part of the mechanism. Fig. 10, is a horizontal section of a spiral gear provided with a cam groove for reciprocating the sliding clutch-members of the mechanism. Figjll, is a detail perspective view of a traveling cross-head clutch-member used in conjunction with the mechanism. Fig.12, is a detail perspective view of a clutch collar foruse in connection with the cross-head clutch-member] Fig. 13, is a detail perspective view of a modified form of controlling niechanism'. Fig. 14, is a central vertical section of the same. Fig; 15, is a detail perspective view of the clutch sleeve forming a part of the modified construction of the mechanism.

the cap 5 provides a chamber for a worm gear, not shown, mounted rigidly on shaft 6, journaled'in said standards and provided at one end with a thread 7 and between the standards with a winding drum 8, for the usual cable for raising and lowering the car.

9, indicates a cylindrical casing underlying the worm-gear-oasing and forming a part'of standard 3 and adapted to contain the threaded end,-not shown, of and form a bearing forthe longitudinal shaft 10, the threaded end meshing as usual in this class of machinery, with the worm gear hereinbefore reion 15, to which'motion is imparted by the mutilated bevel gear l6,secured on shaft 17, journaled at one endin a bearing 18 secured to the rheostatbox and in a pair of bearing brackets 19secured to. the cap 5, it being understood that when the shaft isrotated in one direction or the other it causes the arm 14 shown in dotted lines behind shaft 17 in Fig. l, to engage the upper orlotwer contact terminal of switch 12;

A rock frame journaled on shaft 17 between bearings 19, and of oblong rectangular forminplan View, comprises ends 20 and. sides 21', the latter being of reduced width centrally as at 22, and provided at opposite sides of such reduced portions with substantially' L,shaped.slots 23 and 24, the slots 23 being inverted with respect to each other, the samebeing true of slots 24. Que end Wall-is providedvith curved hooks25 at opposite sides of its axis and between said hooks and above said axis is a bolt, 26, and a clamping plate27 to be clamped by saidbolt against: the said end wall, and the clamping plate, and endwallare formed-v; ithregister.- inggrooves torprovide anopening 28, for a purpose whichrhereinafter appears.

29'indicates a. sleeve secured rigidly on shaft 17 centrally of the rock frame and pro vided at. oneend with outwardly projecting clutchlugs 3 0;and at the other witlhsimilar lugs 31. It is also formed near the lastnamed end with acollar 32 provided with a clutch lug 33andi secured-upon said sleeve near the other end by aset screwv 34 is a col.- lar 3-5.

36 is a spiralgear journaled on sleeve 29 betweencollars 32 and 35 andprovided with a notch 37v receiving the clutch bag 33 and capable: of a certain amount of rotatable movement before either end wall of such notch comes into engagement with said 1ug33.

38-. 38 indicate a pair of slidable clutchmembers journaled on. shaft 17 within the rock frame at opposite ends of sleeve 29 and provided at: their outer ends with annular grooves 39 and at their inner ends w ith clutch lugs 40, the clutch lugs 40 of one ofzthe-slidable clutch-members being adapted to interlock with lugs 30 of the sleeve andthe clutch lugs-40 of the other. slidable clutch-member being-adaptedto interlock with the lugs 31 at the opposite end ofsaid sleeve, and, projecting radially outward from and at diametrically opposite points or: sidesof each clutch-member are. wings 41, the wings of one clutch-member standingnormally at an angle, to the, wings of the other. The ings of clutch-member 38 normally occupy, the

vertical-portions of slots 23 of the rock-frame and the, ings of clutch-member 38 normally occupy the vertical portions of-slots 24 of said rock-frame.

42 indicates a pair of: clutch levers connectedin the usual manner. with clutch-members38 and 38 so as to reciprocate the latter Withoutinterfering with theirrotative movement, they lower ends of said'levers being pivotedat 43-to lugs projecting-from the base. The clutch levers are provided with out- Wardlyv projecting pins 44, see Fig. 10, engaging the, slots. 46, 47v of aspiral: gear 45.

meshing with spiral gear 36, each of said slots extending for about one hundred and eighty degrees u ith the former of greater diameter than and communicating with the latter, cam shoulders 48 being formed at the points of connection of the slots, the inner and outer parts of the Wheel being connected by. bridgeportions 49, at the opposite side of wheel from the levers 42.

50 indicates a, chain. or cable rigidly secured at its upper endto the hub of wheel 4-5 and equipped with aweight 51 for a purpose which hereinafter appears,,said weight being mounted slidingly on the vertical arm of a bracket 52secured to the base in any suitable manner. A; rock frame or yoke comprises an end bar 53 cast or otherwise secured to the hub of wheel; 45 and an inverted-U- shaped frame 54, journaled on the shaft 6 and bolted to bar 53.

55 is a traveling cross-head having a threaded opening 56 engaged by screw 7 and provided at. the opposite sides of saidopening with clutch lugs 57. and- 53 for engagement respectively with the teeth of-a pair of clutch collars 59-and 60, securedby set screws (51 and 62.1'espectively on shaft 7, the distance between the clutch collars determining the extreme limit of travel of the elevator. car.

63 and 64.indicate cables fittingat corresponding ends inthe curved hooks 25 of the rock frame on shaft 17 and fitting and clampedin theopening 28- formed. by and between the. correspondingend of said rockframe andthe clamping plate 27 The c..- bles 63 and-64- depend from said. rock frame and are looped respectively around the sheaves-66 and 67 journaled on brackets 63 secured at the bottom of the elevator shaft, the cables also extending around sheaves, not shown, at the top of the elevator car, thence down around sheaves-69 mounted on a rocker arm 70 ofthe elevator lever. 71, and thence up to the top ofthe elevator shaft and over another set of sheaves, not shown, and down to a sliding weight also not shown, the particular arrangement of-the cables, except the attachment and guiding'mcans for their lower ends shown in Fig. 2, being illustrated and described in the patent to A. and F. E. Turner, controlling device for elevators, #493,607, March 14, 1893.

72 indicates. a suitable brake mechanism to control the motor shaft and 73 a lever carried by the core of the solenoid74 in cir event that it becomes a slack, shall depress said lever and raise its weighted 'end and withdraw. it from the path of an 2 upright lever 78 pivoted at 79-toan armof standard 3 and at its up" er end engaging a clutch collar 80:1nounted to slide but not turnon the drum shaft, a retractilespring 81, normally under tension, connecting the lever 78 with 1 a part of standard 3 for the purpose of throwing the slidable clutch member 80 into engagernent with the clutch face 82 of the spiral gear 45, for a purpose which hereinaftersappears V In practice the as shown in the rawings,that is to say the rock frame is horizontal and its reduced portions 22 are disposed centrally within the slots 83 of gear 36,the lever of the car being also in its neutral or vertical position. To start the-car, the operatorswings the lever 71 to one side and thus through the instrumentality of the cables rocks the rock frame, this action through its engagement with the wings of the clutch-member 38 turns said clutchmember and through the connection of the same with the clutch sleeve turning the latter and consequently closing :theswitch and com pleting a circuit. through the motoiythe completion of said circuit effecting the energization of the solenoid and hence the-release by the brake'mechanism of the motorshait.

The operation of the motor through the instrumentality of the connections described, operates the drum and moves the elevator up or downcaccording' to the rotation of the drum shaft, incidentally causing its crosshead '55'to traveloutward or rinward as the casemay be onthe threaded portion of said shaft,- it being further noted in this connection that the other clutch-member 38" through its engagement with the opposite end of the clutch sleeve, is turned by thelatter so asto maintain its samerelative position with the rock-frame, themovement of said last-named clutch-member being of coursev an inoperative movement,- that is to say, amovement which does not affect the position of any other part- To arrest the elevator, the operator pulls lever 71 back to its initial or vertical position and in so doin rocks the rock-frame back to its horizonta position, the rock-frame by engagement with i the wings of the last-named clutch-member rocking the latter back to itsinitialposition and causin it through its engagement with the clutch s eeve to turn theshait 17 back to its original position and therefore break the circuit through the motorand solenoid to a permit the brake mechanism to arrest the motor shaft and hence the drum and elevator 7 car, it being noted inthisconnection, that-as,

arts are normally disposed thereturn movement of-the rock-frame takes place, theclutch-member first reierredto is turned to its original position through its engagement with the adjacent end of the clutch.-

sleeve, this return movement of said first-' named clutch-member being an inoperative movement in the sense that the first movement of the companion clutch-member was inoperative, that is to say both of said movements aresimply to position the clutch-mom boss for subsequent operative movements.

'WithFeach starting and stopping movemerit of the elevator the above operations .occur, it being of course understood that to reverse the travel of the elevator the lever is manipulated to reverse the rock-frame action, and hence the clutoh member which. originally was moved to position for a subsequentoperative action, performs a definite o erative function on its first movement w rile the first movement of the other clutchmember is simply to position it for operative action on its subsequent movement.

Assuming that the operator from any cause, fails to arrest the elevator when it attains a predetermined limit of travel, the outward or inward movement, as the case maybe, of the'cross-head, continues until said orossshead comes within the sphere of action of a clutch collar on the drum shaft,

andis therefore turned by the latter, this turning movement of the cross-head like- Wise turning the yoke and spiral gear 45 and also effecting the elevation of the weight 51. The operation of gear 45 imparts operation to the intermeshing gear 36, and at the same time one of the levers '42 is thrown outward by the-engagement of its pin 44 with the upwardly moving cam shoulder 48, the cam shoulder forcing said lever outward until its pin engagesthe slot 46, the pin of the companion lever remaining in slot 47. It

will thus be seen that the clutch-member connected to the last-named lever' is not moved longitudinally upon the shaft but that the clutch-member connected to the other lever is moved longitudinally upon the shaft untildisengaged from the clutch sleeve 29 this engagement taking place as the spiral gear 36 starts to turn and before the appreaching end of the notch 37 of said gear comes into engagement with the tooth 33 of the clutch-sleeve, it being also understood in thisconnection that when said clutch-memb or has moved outward as explained, its wings enter the portions of the slots of the rock frame extending parallelwith shaft 17. The gear 36 by theengagement of said end-wall of itsnotch with tooth 33 turns the sleeve 29 and henceshaft 17 to open the circuit and effect the arrest of theelevator car in the 'manner hereinbefore explained, it being noticedin this'connection that the clutch- IIiember which'was not moved by its lever 1 isturned through its engagement with the i clutch sleeve to dispose its wings at opposite ends of the upright portions of the slots of the rock-frame. As the elevator car is thus arrested, it will be apparent that the clutchmember which was moved by its lever 42, does not turn with the clutch sleeve and hence is disposed out of alinement therewith that is to say, its teeth are out of alinement with the notches of the clutch-sleeve. To restore said parts to operative relation, the operator must return lever 71 to its original or vertical position and through the instrumentality of the ropes or cables 63 and 64 rock the rook-frame, this action, because the wings are engaged with the longitudinal portions of the slots of said frame, rocking the last-named clutch-member back into alinement with the clutch-sleeve without disturbing the companion clutch-member and the clutch-sleeve and shaft. He then swings the lever to the opposite side of its pivot and thereby rocks the rock-frame and the clutchmembers 38 and 38 and hence the clutchsleeve and shaft 17, this action resulting in the operation of the switch and again completing the circuit through the motor to cause the same to release the brake and operate the drum and thus move the elevator downward or upward as the case may be. As the movement of the drum is thus reversed the clutch collar 59 or 60 revolves so as to release the cross head 55 and thus permit the elevated weight 51 to gravitate and turn the gear 45 and incidentally the yoke and cross-head back to their original positions, the revolution of said gear through one of its cams swinging inward the lever 42 connected to the disengaged clutch-member to effect the rengagement of said clutch-member with the clutch-sleeve and the disengagement of its wings from the portions of the slots of the rock-frame extending parallel to the axis thereof, it being obvious that gear 36 is revolved back to its original position by the descent of the weight. In the movement of the clutch-member which results in the disengagement of its wings from the portions of the slots referred to, said wings remain in the path of backward or return movement of the rock-frame in order that when the lever is brought back to vertical position, the incidental movement of the rock-frame will cause the last-named clutchnember, through the instrumentality of the clutch-sleeve, to operate the shaft 17 and therefore break the circuit and effect the stoppage of the car, with all of the parts in the positions initially occupied and therefore ready for another lever movement to start the car either upward or downward.

With the construction shown in Figs.

capable of a greater range of movement with respect to the spiral gear because it is outside of the latter instead of extending through it, it being further noticed that in the construction shown by the said figures, the clutch levers will be at the opposite ends of the rock-frame and consequently can never be struck by the latter in its rotary movement as might occur in the construction shown by the preceding figures. By giving the reel -fra.na a more extended rotary movement, its leverage on the switch-operating shaft is increased a a slight sacrifice of speed, the operation of the switch-operating shaft at less speed being sometimes desirable.

Referring specifically to the construction embodied in Figs. 13 to 15 inclusive, 1? indicates the switch-operating shaft, Set is a clutch-sleeve corresponding to clutch-sleeve 29 of Figs. 7 and 8 and like the latter provided with end teeth, and 86, and a teeth 87. 36 is the spiral gear mounted upon the clutch-sleeve and provided with a notch 88 corresponding to notch 37 and receiving the tooth 87. 38 and 58, indicate the pair of clutch-members mounted slidably and retatably on shaft 1". lhe rock frame is constructed as follows: 89 is a pair of collars journaled. on the clutch-members 35 and 555 and secured at their inner ends to plates 90 journaled upon the clutch-sleeve S4- and gear 36 and provided with upwardly projecting arms 91, equipped with inwardly projecting lugs 92, through which bolts 93 extend to secure them rigidly together. The collars 89 are provided at their inner ends with slots 94- to receive the wings 41 of the slidable clutch-members, and projecting inwardly from the base of each slot 9-1: an arm 95 to provide communicating laterallyextending slots 96 for the reception of said wings when the rock-frame is to be interlocked as regards rotary movement, with one of the slidable clutch-members. 97 is a flanged wheel secured to one of the collars Si) and adapted for the reception of the cable or cables 63, the cables being adapted to be fastened to the wheel in any suitable manner so that when moved by the lever in the ear .or cage, the wheel and consequently the 1 rock-frame constituted by the collars and plates 90 will be rockel. With this censtruction as hereinbefore stated the rockframe has a wider range of rotatable action than the rock-frame shown most clearly in Figs. 3, 4, and5,it being also noticed that the grooved ends of the slidable clutch-members are beyond the ends of the rock-frame so l. l. (l

that the latter can in no event come into contact with the clutch-reci',' rocating levers.

From the above description it will be ap- 13 to 15 inclusive, the operation is precisely parent that I have produced an elevatorthe same as that described, but it will be noticed by reference to said figures and the following description that the rock frame is controlling mechanism possessing the features of advantage enumerated as desirable and I wish it to be understood that I do not ease-a anesthetic whittled-sans tr construction showh' and described'as obvious 1. The combination with an electric elevator car or cab and its controlling switch,

of a manually-operated device on the car, mechanical switch-operating means, mechanical connectlonsbetween sa d means and the device on the car whereby the latterrna'y effect movement of the former and the switch, and, mechanical -means for automatically throwing said 'switch oper-ating means to such osition with respect to the said device on t e car that then eration of the latter to neutral position shal not affect the position of said switch-operating means.

2. The combination with an electric elevator car and its controlling switch, of a clutch-member movable always with l the switch, a companion clutch-member interlocked with the first-named clutch-member,

, means on the car connected to said 00m? anion clutch-member .to turn the same and ence the first-named clutch-member and the switch, and means for automatically disengaging the members of the clutch at predetermined points in the travel of the car.

3. The combination of a hoisting engine and its controlling mechanism, of. a shaft journaled on said engine, a clutch-sleeve secured on said shaft so "asto revolve with it, sliding clutch-members arranged to engage with said clutch-sleeve and journaled on said shaft; means for operatingsaid sliding clutch-members alternately along said shaft and into and out of engagement with said clutch-sleeve, a gear wheel journaled on said clutch-sleeve and arranged to rotate it independent of said sliding clutch-members, a second gear wheel meshing with'the first and provided with cams to operate said sliding clutch-members, and a rock-frame suitably journaled'and arranged to 0 erate the said sliding clutches independent y of the gear Wheels. I

4. The combination of a shaft, a clutch-- member movable therewith, a pair of clutchmembers movable endwise and also rotatably, a rock-frame suitably journaled and connected to the said pair of clutch-members, and means to rock the rock-frame and cause it to move one of the air of clutch-members and therefore turn t e first-named clutchmember and the shaft and the other of the pair of clutch-members V 5. The combination of a shaft, a clutchmember movable therewith, a pair of clutchmembers movable endwise and also rotatably, a rock-frame suitably journaled and connected to said pair of clutch-members, means to rock the rock-frame and cause it to move ease as pairer "almon -meanders and therefore turn thefirst-named clutch-member and the shaft and "the other of 'the pair of clutch-members, "means to withdraw the endwise movable clutclrmember which was "caused by the rock-frame to move "the firstnamed clutch-member, out of engagement with the latter and into interlocked relation with the rock-frame as regards rotary movement.

6. The combination of a shaft, a clutch- "Inember movable therewith, a pair of clutchmenibers movable endwise and also rotatably, a rock-frame suitablyjournaled and connected to said pair "of clutch-members, means to rock'the rock-frame and cause it to move 'one of the pair of clutch-members and therefore turn the first-named clutch-member and the shaft and the other of the pair of clutchmemb'ers, means to withdraw the endwisemovable clutch-member which was caused by the rock-frame to move the first-named clutch-member, out of engagement with the latter and into interlocked relation with the rock-frame as regardsrotary movement, and

means to rock the first-named clutch-memher and thereby turn the shaft a reverse direction from one of its normal stationary positions and the endwise-movable clutchmember-in engagement with said shaft without affecting the position of the rock-frame and the clutch-member interlocked therewith as regards rotary movement.

'7. Thecombi'nation of a shaft, a clutchmember movable therewith, a pair of clutchmembers' movable endwise "and also rota-tably, a re ck-frame suitablyjournaled andconnected iito said pair "of clutch-members, means to rock the rocli frame and cause it to move one ofathe pair of clutch-members and therefore turn the 'fi rstmamed clut-ch-mem- 1 her andthe' shaft and the other of the pair of clutch-members, means to withdraw the endwise-movable clutch-member which was caused b the rock-frame to move the firstnamed' c utch-member, out of engagement with the latter and into interlocked relation with the rock-frame as regards rotary movement, means to rock the first-named clutchmember and thereby turn the shaft in a reverse direction from one of its normal stationary. positions and the endwise-movable clutchdneniber in engagement with said shaft without affecting the position of the rock-frame and the clutch-member interlocked therewith as regards rotary movement, and means to yieldingly resist thesaid reverse operation of the shaft and after the movement of the rock-frame has been reversed eifect the reengagement of the disengaged clutch-member with the first-named clutch-member and its disengagement as reards rotary movement in one direction, rom the rock-frame.

, 8.,In an apparatus of the character de- -scribed, thegcombination with a hoisting en-' gine and its controlling mechanism, of a shaft to operate said controlling mechanism, a clutch-member rotatable with said shaft, a pair of journaled and slidable clutch-memers engaging the first-named clutch-member, means to rock one of said pair of slidable clutch-members and cause it to turn the first-named clutch-member, the shaft and the companion slidable clutch member, means to withdraw the slidable clutch-me1nber which was caused to turn the first-nan1ed clutch-member, from engagement with the latter, and means to rock the first-named clutch-member and thereby turn the shaft in a reverse direction from one of its normal stationary positions and the endwise-movable clutch-member in engagement with said shaft.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a hoisting engine and its controlling mechanism, of a shaft to operate said controlling mechanism; a clutch-member rigid with said shaft; a

air of journaled and slidable clutch-memhers engaging the first-named clutch-member, either of said pair of clutch-members being capable of turning to effect turnin moveinent of the first-named clutch-member, the shaft and the companion slidable clutchmember; means to' withdraw the slidable clutch-member which may be employed in turning the first named clutch-member, from engagement with the latter after it has turned the same; means to rock the rigid clutch-member and thereby turn the shaft in a reverse direction from one of its normal stationary positions and the slidable clutchmember in engagement with said shaft and movable means to turn in one direction and cause one of said slidable clutch-members to turn the rigid clutch-member, the shaft and the companion slidable clutch-member and after such movement, be capable of moving drawn slidable clutc i-member in in another direction to redispose the withosition to be slid into rengagement with tie clutchmember rigid with the shaft.

10. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a shaft, a clutchsleeve rigidly secured thereon, a gear wheel adapted to turn with the clutch-sleeve and also have a limited independent rotative movement, slidable clutch-members ournaled on the shaft and normally interlocked with the clutch-sleeve and provided with wings, a rock-frame journaled on the shaft and provided with substantially L-shaped slots having their upright portions normally engaged by said wings, a gear wheel meshin g with the first-named gear wheel and provided with a pair of concentric slots of dilierent radius and with cam shoulders at the junction of said slots, levers having pins nor mally engaging one of said slots and connected to reciprocate without interfering with the rotatable action of the slidable clutch-members, a driven shaft forming a ournal for the second gear wheel and provided with a threaded portion, clutch collars rigidly secured on the threaded portion of said shaft, a yoke movable with the second gear wheel and surrounding said collars, a cross-head engaging the threaded portion of the shaft and guided to reciprocate thereon between the clutch collars, by said yoke, and a weight connected to be raised by movement imparted to the yoke by one of the clutch collars and to reverse the action of the yoke when the cross-head is disengaged from the engaging clutch collar.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK E. TURNER.

Vitnesses H. C. Ronenns, G. Y. Tnonrn. 

